Transmission

Scanning Electron Scanning Tunneling Atomic Force

Optical Microscope Electron Microscope
Microscope (SEM) Microscope (STM) Microscopy (AFM)
(TEM)
Source Light Electron beam Electron beam Tunneling current Laser

About 500,000 x –
Magnification 10 – 2500 x About 200,000 x
1,000,000 x
- -

Up to true atomic scale

Resolution Up to 0.2 μm 0.3 μm – 0.15 μm 0.2 nm to a few Å Up to nanoscale range
(AFM resolution > STM)

Electrostatic & Electrostatic &

Lenses Optical lens
Electromagnetic lens Electromagnetic lens
- -

Depth of
Limited High High - -
Field (DoF)
From -10 to +10 V (for
conducting probe called
Voltage No voltage required 1-50 kV 10keV – 3MeV Focus on current flow
“Periscope” stable DC
bias voltage

Vacuum No Yes Yes Yes Not necessary

Develop point by point and Captures precise images

Focused by objective lens
Image generate electron Captures images using by moving a nanometer
Focused by objective lens and enlarged by
Feature interaction as it scans the
intermediate lens
quantum tunneling sized tip across the
surface surface of the images
⸷ Transmitted Light
⸷ Reflected Light ⸷ Secondary Electrons
⸷ Secondary Electrons Measure the small force
⸷ Polarized Light ⸷ Scattered Electrons Measure the tunnelling
Image Mode ⸷ Scattered Electrons
current
between the surface and
⸷ Differential ⸷ Absorbed specimen the tip
⸷ Bright/Dark Field
Interference Contrast current
⸷ Phase Contrast
⸷ 3D-surface
Image ⸷ 3D-surface topography
2D-topography 3D-topography 2D topography
Dimension ⸷ Electronic structure
⸷ Surface harness
 ⸷ Sample can be thick ⸷ Thickness <100 μm
⸷ Thickness <50 μm ⸷ Cannot be viewed in ⸷ Cannot be viewed in
⸷ Normally applicable to
⸷ Can be viewed in colour colour ⸷ Applicable to both
conductors
Sample colour ⸷ Must be dead & dried ⸷ Must be dead & dried conductors &
⸷ Medium can be
⸷ Flat & level surface ⸷ Conductive layer ⸷ Conductive layer insulators
solid/liquid/gas
requirement required for insulating required for insulating
surface surface
⸷ For non-conductive
samples, sputter/coat
⸷ Electrothinning
with a thin layer of ⸷ Sample – 1cm in
⸷ Cutting ⸷ Ultra-Microtomy
conductive material diameter
⸷ Mounting (Au). ⸷ Chemical thinning
Sample must be conductive ⸷ Surface needs to be
Sample ⸷ Grinding ⸷ Cutting ⸷ Cleavage
but medium ca be air, liquid cleaned
Preparation ⸷ Lapping ⸷ Mounting ⸷ Solvent casting or vacuum ⸷ Surface of interest
⸷ Polishing ⸷ Grinding ⸷ Ion bombardment must be smaller than
⸷ Etching ⸷ Lapping ⸷ Focus i8on beam the probe tip
⸷ Polishing (FIB)
⸷ Etching

Limitations

Advantages